What a year this has been! From a global pandemic to a series of economic, social, racial and political crises, 2020 has taken thousands of lives and exposed and deepened the inequalities and injustices which African feminists had been fighting tirelessly for decades. For us all as individuals, as organisations, and as movements, 2020 was at once sorrowful and hopeful.

And yet, we thrived together. Despite all the challenges that came their way, our amazing AWDF grantee partners have found innovative ways to maintain the momentum in their advocacy, activism and solidarity. Right from the onset of the pandemic, you went straight to the frontline, providing solace and comfort to your communities, protecting the lives of fellow African women and girls, and challenging patriarchal systems of oppression.

The AWDF team’s priority was to continue to support you in all the creative and flexible ways the circumstances warranted, and we have learned invaluable lessons that will continue to shape our work moving forward. As we work with our grantee partners, other women’s funds, and the entire African feminist community, our contribution to the post-COVID world will be grounded in an actualisation of our feminist values and a prioritisation of self-care and wellness.

For us, 2020 has been a year of joyous transitions. We successfully closed phase one of Leading from the South and looking to moving to the next phase. We also saw a number of our colleagues transition out of the organisation and moving on to new chapters in their lives. Notable among these were our Director of Programmes Jessica Horn (read her reflection here), and now imminently, our indomitable CEO, Theo Sowa, who is bidding farewell to AWDF after nine years at its helm.

As Theo explained in this brief podcast, leadership transitions must be celebrated, not feared, for they contribute to the vibrancy of feminist movements. We are excited to welcome Françoise Moudouthe as our new CEO. Françoise is a passionate advocate for women’s rights and says she’s looking forward to working with the AWDF team to nurture and support dynamic feminist activism in Africa and beyond.

To end the year, we are heeding the advice of our sister Hope Chigudu on the importance of servicing our bodies like vehicles and taking a much-needed step in self-care: rest. We will therefore be going on a break from 18 December 2020 until 6 January 2021. We hope that you too will get a chance to rest, and we look forward to standing alongside you in the New Year as you work to defend and protect the lives of African women and girls.

Here’s to entering 2021 in the spirit of solidarity and sisterhood! We wish you all the happiest of holidays, and a marvellous New Year!